The last time I was in there they could not have been nicer. I picked up a couple of ties and spent 45 minutes talking about the golf couses of Northern California with a couple of the salesmen and a regular who had just returned from playing a couple of rounds on the course I played as a kid. I really liked the shop and thought that they had a ton of interesting merchandise.

Well this wouldn't have happened in Japan, where customer service still exists. If you had asked for a measuring tape in the Japanese equivalent of the Andover Shop (e.g., Beams - http://www.beams.co.jp ), they would have quickly located a measuring tape for you and bowed as they handed it to you.

+1000, customer service in Japan is beyond compare and the buyers at Beams, United Arrows, Tommorowland and Figo are incredible. The only problem with shopping in Japan is you have to watch out for the mark up on imported goods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmorel

He's a good guy, when I was into Charvet ties he would always call me as soon as any new ties came in that he thought I would like. He's been there forever. There was also this great older lady that used to man the defunct Turnbull and Asser counter and she seems to have left when Turnbull did

Yeah he has been there forever and I've had a few issues with him, so now I refuse to speak with him and only deal with the other SA.

He's a good guy, when I was into Charvet ties he would always call me as soon as any new ties came in that he thought I would like. He's been there forever. There was also this great older lady that used to man the defunct Turnbull and Asser counter and she seems to have left when Turnbull did

Yeah, I don't know why people are knocking the Charvet man. I always try to talk to him when I'm at BG...knows his product well and is simply just a nice guy.

Yeah, I don't know why people are knocking the Charvet man. I always try to talk to him when I'm at BG...knows his product well and is simply just a nice guy.

One example going back to the late nineties - I ordered a shirt once from him MTO and confirmed the price (which at the time was about $400); when the shirt arrived he called my office and told me the price was $600. I told him to send the shirt back to Paris as there is no way I was going to $200 more than the price quoted, but he wouldn't let it go and must have left about 10 VM for me asking when I would come pick up the shirt until I called and spoke to a store manager.

The Andover shop -- haven't thought about that place in decades, not since the late 1970s.

Kinda surprised they're still in business. It was a fussy, frumpy place that sold fussy, frumpy clothes to preppies in the days before Ralph Lauren showed how such clothes could look glamorous as hell.

While ultimately, there is no excuse for what you describe, there is a part of me that celebrates the appearence of pure, uncompromising viciousness (even stupidity) confounding financial self-interest.

The very same attitude is part of the foundation of why the selection at the Andover Shop remains so distinctive for such a tiny store: certainty in the face of equanimity. "We don't care what you think."

Some of my fondest stories involve getting thrown out of places, and seeing other people getting thrown out. I remember a good part of the afternoon once at Harry's Bar watching male tourists in shorts swinging into the revolving door and then immediately swung out through the same door. Splendid.

It's so old Boston, and one of the few vestiges of unprefabricated personality left in Harvard Square. I'll miss it when it finally goes.

I'm guessing he only likes the "Hairless Dog" look on himself. I can see Jon being into bears, because they love hairless cubs.

You two are so amazingly gay (You like it, the flossing with each others pubic hairs?). I would tell you to go get a room, but I would be too late. What kind of leather goods are you giving each other for Christmas?

You two are so amazingly gay (You like it, the flossing with each others pubic hairs?). I would tell you to go get a room, but I would be too late. What kind of leather goods are you giving each other for Christmas? Jon.